


A Bump in the Night

by A_A_Ron17



Category: The Evil Within (Video Game)
Genre: Brief Joseph Oda, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, More fluff than porn, One Night Stands, Porn with Feelings, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-19
Updated: 2018-02-23
Packaged: 2019-03-21 04:38:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13733316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_A_Ron17/pseuds/A_A_Ron17
Summary: This fic takes place a few months after Myra “disappeared”. Sebastian is at the lowest he has ever been. Low enough to be seduced by a strange Italian artist. Perhaps this is something that could partly heal his gaping wounds.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey so I’m a fresh bean on this site. This is my very first fanfiction so I’m very anxious with how it turns out. I wrote it just for fun and because it’s been helping me with my anxiety. Hope you guys will like it!

The beat of the song playing vibrated through Sebastian's already throbbing head. Strobe lights overhead were making him even more nauseous. Why did he decide on this again? Yeah the alcohol was better and stronger but he didn't fit in here. A lowlife detective at the end of his rope in a sleazy, downtown club. Yep. He made a mistake coming here. By the expressions of the other patrons he knew he didn't belong. They all looked so happy, utterly careless. Then there he was drinking down the question that lingered in his head for almost a year.

Where had his wife gone? Why did she leave him? It was understandable after what happened to his little girl but there was absolutely no explanation. Perhaps she just didn't want to be with a loser cop anymore; she was leaugues better than him anyway.  


A dirty rag brushed against his fingers that were tightly wrapped around a glass of bourbon. He raised his head to a small Hispanic man. Presumably the bartender. God he was already that trashed that he couldn't remember the man who gave him the drink. The man arched an eyebrow and scoffed.

"What is someone like you doing in here?" he chided.

Sebastian squinted his eyes and took another gulp of the amber liquid. He found himself checking the guy out. The man had a small golden earring through his left ear, his hair was bleached a platinum blond which made an interesting contrast against his caramel skin. 

"Well uh, just wanted a change of scenery I guess. I can see why you'd ask that though. Bunch of fruit loops all up in this place", he slurred. 

The bartender rolled his eyes and strolled to the other side to attend to someone else. The whole mood in the club changed at that moment. The music was quicker and the lights were dimmer. It was getting close to eleven at night after all. 

He lifted his head and turned to see who was on the dancefloor. Lord he did not belong here. Everyone was wearing bright colors and the artsy vibes coming off them were overwhelming. He hated those types of people. They all thought they knew pain and that it was beautiful. Well it isn't. It's hideous and unsightly. Pain can't be made into "art". Only these weirdos would think that. More than likely the only pain they've ever felt was the breaking of a colored pencil. Why was he getting so mad? He was always angry anymore, seemed that was the only emotion he had left. 

While he was brooding about life, the song changed along with the color of the lights. A slow, melodic beat swooped around his brain. The red lights made his eyes hazy but it was actually an okay song he admitted to himself.  
Soon he found himself watching one man in particular. He was close to the middle of the floor and was grinding against a taller more broad man. His hips swiveled so smoothly, it was almost... mesmerizing. Sebastian choked on the sip he had just taken. 

The flamboyantly clad man was staring at him with a gaze that pierced through Sebastian's soul. He wore a tight red turtleneck with a simple black suit jacket. His gloves were purple leather and on his feet were expensive looking shoes. The turtleneck wrapped so intimately around his long neck that Sebastian found himself ogling at the writhing muscle. 

He didn't have a clear shot of his face though. By the looks of it, he had one of those dated hairstyles where the bangs swoop in the front. Plenty of punks he had dealt with in his time had worn the same haircut. This man wasn't a punk though. He looked like the artist type. Once the man had locked eyes with him though, they never left. It was almost like he wanted Sebastian to watch. So Sebastian watched. 

His legs were so long, he wondered what they would feel like wrapped around him. Okay wait, time out. There were plenty of attractive women in the club, why was he watching this random guy? It had to be the alcohol. It was high time he stopped looking so he slowly turned away from the dancefloor back to the bar. 

The bartender was eyeing him down then. "Hmm for someone who called me a 'fruit loop' you sure are enjoying Mr. Valentini eh?" he said with a heavy accent. 

Sebastian scoffed and looked at him unamusedly. "Yeah okay, listen I'm sorry. I've just had a shitty couple of months. Cut me some slack", he proclaimed. 

The bartender gave him a sympathetic look and filled his glass to the brim. "That's fine honey, just don't come in here and take your anger out on me by calling me cereal. Do I look like cereal to you?" he asked incredulously.

Sebastian chuckled. "No, I guess you don't. Hey who's this Valentini guy? He some kind of actor or something?" 

The smaller man bent down to grab another bottle and sighed when he layed eyes on Sebastian again. "That is Stefano Valentini. He thinks of himself as some kind of artist but he's just a weird photographer. He comes here at least once a week, usually on the weekends when it's packed. Not a lot of people like him though." 

"Why's that?" Sebastian asked curiously. 

"Well let's just say people don't like how he treats women in his 'art'. They think he objectifies them too much", he said while pouring someone else a glass of whiskey. 

Sebastian turned around to look at this Valentini guy again. He was peering from behind one of the many pillars that held the ceiling up. This man was stalking his prey by the looks of it. Sebastian was his target meal.

Just then his phone emitted a soft blue glow. Joseph must have texted. The man was always on his ass since the Myra incident. Sebastian dealt with things by drowning them in a unhealthy helping of alcohol. Usually liquor. Joseph did not like that one bit and made sure he was that he was heard loud and clear. He grabbed his phone and unlocked it to see what his partner had to say.

“Seb you better not drink too much. Please be careful. Happy New Years."

Oh yeah he forgot. It was New Year's Eve, that would explain all the weird and flashy outfits. It was just another year of misery for him so why did he care. He started to space out again before someone's voice startled him out of it. 

"You are new here no? I've never seen anyone so roguishly handsome come in here before", the voice practically purred with a deep heavy Italian accent. Shit.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize if some of the spacing is weird. I’m so new to this and I’m nervous for some odd reason heheheh. I hope I don’t disappoint though and enjoy!

Sebastian choked on a gulp of quickly inhaled air and the other man started to chuckle. “I am being too straightforward aren’t I? I didn’t mean to it’s just, you see, I noticed you watching me out there. I could see the hunger in your eyes mio amico”, he said with a glint in his eye.

Sebastian rolled his eyes and looked at the bartender. He simply shrugged and disappeared into the crowd of customers. 

Well there goes Sebastian’s scapegoat. Now he had to listen to this guy. He huffed and looked at the man.

“Listen pal, don’t think too highly of yourself. I wasn’t looking at just you. There’s a lot of people dancing out there, how the hell do you know that I was looking at your weird ass?” 

The man quirked an eyebrow and grinned. “So you were looking at my ass eh?” he drawled out.

Sebastian felt a blush creep up his face. Damn this guy. “No that is NOT what I meant, I just- okay what the fuck do you want from me?” his voice starting to rise. 

Stefano raised his arms in protest. “So touchy! I mean no harm my friend, it’s just I am quite attracted to you. Do you not know what flirting is?” 

The bartender was slowly making his way down the bar and Sebastian was gritting his teeth just waiting for him. He was going to have to be piss ass drunk to deal with this guy. 

He scratched the back of his neck and turned to look straight at the guy’s face. Very long features, smile was pretty nice, and a pretty eye color too. One thing stood out on his perfect European face. Peeking out from underneath his fringe was a web of what appeared to be scar tissue. Is that why he had the hair so long? 

It seemed that he noticed Sebastian staring and the expression on his face made it obvious that he was starting to get self-conscious. Sebastian quickly diverted his eyes to look down at the bar. 

His deep and rich voice pierced through Sebastian’s trance. “I am sorry to have bothered you, I’ll just be going home. Have a good night I suppose.” His eye didn’t have that flame in it like it did when they first started talking and his posture slumped. 

“Gotta go and make me feel bad huh?”  
Sebastian inwardly thought. 

Just as he began walking away Sebastian grabbed his arm. “Hey hey just wait.” His voice gentle. “Come on, sit down. I’ve been a bit of an ass alright? Sorry I’ve just- I’ve been through a lot in a short amount of time. You’re Stefano right?” 

Any trace of gloom was completely gone now and was replaced with a subtle excitement. “You know my name? Have you seen any of my work? What do you think abou—“ 

“Whoa whoa wait, slow down. I only know your name because the bartender told me. I’m Sebastian by the way.” 

Stefano looked visibly annoyed that that was how he found out his name, but then again no one knew who he was or his name and if they did it was dripping off their tongue with malice. “Oh I see... well Sebastian, what has you so melancholy?” Sebastian signaled for another shot of whiskey and peered at Stefano with sad eyes. “It’s a long story.”

 

“So.. your wife just left..? Why?” Stefano asked incredulously. Sebastian let out a long sigh and took a quick swig of his drink. “No idea. Well I do have an idea but it’s batshit crazy. I know Myra, she was a beautiful and intelligent woman; that’s why I loved her. I think my daughter’s uh...”

Sebastian got choked up and couldn’t swallow the lump that was quickly swelling in his throat. Just thinking about his daughter’s death brought on a feeling that he had never felt; like someone was was shoving a hot spear down into his guts. His hands started to shake, tears were welling in his eyes and were threatening to spill.

Stefano saw this and dropped the topic immediately. So he cleared his throat to break the woeful vibes coming off the grungy detective.

“Well, perhaps you’ll never know. It’s not going to help to dwell yes? So Sebastian, do you dance?” his voice dropped an octave and lowered almost to a whisper. 

“I really don’t feel like dancing Stefano. I don’t even know if I’m attracted to you like that and if I am, it’s because of this”, he pointed at the small glass. 

Stefano stood on his long and slender legs and offered a gloved hand. “Come now, put those trifle thoughts in the back of your head and go crazy for one night. Let loose you uptight man! Besides, I can seduce practically anyone.” Stefano gave him an alluring little smirk. 

Damn this guy was smooth. It was the voice, had to be. 

Sebastian took one last quick chug of his liquid courage and embarrassingly got up. He hadn't danced since his wedding and boy was he bad. This was going to be humiliating; he knew that much. Stefano lead him to the chaotic dance floor and started to sway to the beat while Sebastian stood there looking like a giant ass.

 

The beat was slow and sensual. The dancing started to become a bit... promiscuous. Sebastian was just merely watching and his face was already heating up from the alcohol and writhing bodies in front of him.

Stefano let out a light chuckle and made his way to the frightened man. “Are you okay? You seem a bit stiff, and I don’t have a dirty double meaning for that; you literally look like a board. Want to go sit back down?”

This place was full to the brim with people, it was so packed that his back was up against some woman who may or may not have been twerking on him. He wasn’t sure anymore. All he knew was that watching Stefano dance was causing an arousal that he hadn’t had for a while. 

“No I’m just- I just don’t know what I’m doing, I’ve never been a good dancer.” he shouted over the loud music. 

Stefano then had a mischievous grin spread across his face. “I’ll show you, come here.” Sebastian blushed and awkwardly pushed through the crowd to him. 

Stefano then turned to face away from him and got right up on Sebastian’s front. He tilted his head right into his ear. “Now, hold me Sebastian. Touch me.” his voice vibrated all throughout his chest. 

This man was dangerous. Like a big cat in a lanky Italian man disguise. 

His eye was half lidded and his hips began to grind on Sebastian’s own. Oh God. Sebastian gritted his teeth and tried to ignore the immense heat that traveled to his groin. To help matters, this guy smelt amazing; like vanilla and oak. Then to make matters even more worse, he felt Stefano’s hands grab his and put them on his chest. They traveled over the expanse of his ribs and the soft material of his shirt. Sebastian could feel his hard nipples through the thin turtleneck. He experimentally rubbed one and that elicited a deep moan that rattled his ribs. His heartbeat was picking up along with the tempo of the song playing. Stefano knew exactly what he was doing, at this point he didn’t even care that he was a man. 

His ass started to rub him faster and faster. Sebastian felt like he could cum right there on the spot. That would be embarrassing as fuck though so he tried to calm down. 

Stefano’s eye was closed and his clothes were all out of order; almost like he was trying to undress right there on the dance floor. 

Then a weird desire rose up in Sebastian, it was time to test the waters. He licked the outer shell of Stefano’s ear and heard a little gasp. His breathless voice barely reaching Sebastian’s ear. 

“Bite me.” 

“What?” 

“I said bite me, mark me!” 

This guy was a bit kinky it seemed. He carefully pulled the turtleneck down so he had access. Sebastian positioned his mouth on Stefano’s neck and gently bit down. The Italian almost growled. “Harder!” 

Okay. Time to leave. His pants felt like they were busting at the seams. Sebastian licked a small swipe before twirling Stefano around to look at him face to face. 

“Do you live nearby?” 

Stefano looked confused but quickly had a knowing smile cover his face. “I have an apartment about four blocks away. Is something the matter Sebastian?” he gave a little laugh. 

Sebastian rolled his eyes. “I just need to get away from these bright lights and this loud music, my head hurts”. 

Stefano let out a full blown laugh then. “If that’s what you want to tell yourself but uh... I could feel little Sebastian if you get my meani-“  
“Okay okay hah hah funny, let’s just get out of here.” 

Stefano grabbed his hand and lead him off the dance floor. “Okay old man, lets see what you’ve got.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first shot at smut and I’m a sad virgin so if it’s bad, that’s why lol. Still a bit rusty with the writing but I really wanted to write this. There will probably be one more chapter after this, I’m not sure but enjoy!

The drive to Stefano’s condo was surprisingly quiet and all around awkward. What the hell was he doing? He just met this guy and now he was contemplating on having sex with him, hell he probably was going to. His sex drive had been pretty meek to say the least but Stefano lit a fire in him with no hope of extinguishment.

The only other time he had sex with a man was his sophomore year in college and it was nothing to brag about. In fact it was so bad, the guy he slept with dropped all communication with him. That was a huge punch to Sebastian’s ego so he repressed that part of him so much that he forgot it was buried deep within him.

He would be lying if he said he never looked at Joseph like that. Joseph is really cute and has a pretty nice ass but knowing him, he wants the traditional family life. He’s happy enough with stealing little glances every time his partner bends down to get something from his desk.

 

Stefano was silent and concentrated on the road. The man put on a different personality in front a crowd; Sebastian could see that. The individual he was looking at now seemed like an entirely different person. His demeanor was timid and his mouth was set at a straight line. Where was that enthusiasm that he had shown at the club?

Sebastian coughed to get his attention. He quickly glanced over with a wide smile on his face. 

“Something wrong Sebastian?” he quietly asked.

“Nah, nothing’s wrong. Actually are we almost there? I’m kind of thirsty.”

Stefano gave him a warm smile. “Si, we are only a few minutes away, guess whiskey doesn’t actually quench thirst eh?” he quipped. 

“Oh like you weren’t drinking Mr. fancy shoes.” 

Stefano then scoffed. “Fancy shoes? Is that supposed to insult me?” he lightly laughed. “Yes I was drinking but moderately. You look like you’ve been drinking since early this morning.” 

Sebastian was about to retaliate when they pulled up to a gated driveway. Stefano poked his head out of the window to put in a pass code on a number pad. The gate slowly began to scoot out of the way of the road and they made their way to the tall white building.

 

Stefano began to unlock the door to the lavish place when Sebastian snaked a hand around his waist and started groping the firm muscle there. He jumped but quickly accepted the lazy swirling of Sebastian’s fingers. Sebastian could feel his own heart flutter with excitement and arousal. Stefano turned around to look him in the eye and gave him a dark gaze. Sebastian stared at his thin lips and found himself licking his own.

Before he even knew what he was doing, he grabbed Stefano’s head and softly kissed him. Stefano moaned and deepened the kiss by biting Sebastian’s bottom lip to get his mouth open. Then their tongues began to wrap around each other, making Sebastian lose all sensible thought. So much for taking it slow. The sound of their lips smacking against one another filled the desolate hallway.

As quickly as it started, it ended with Stefano shoving Sebastian away with a hand on his chest. 

“Very eager aren’t we? Let me get the door open first and we can continue this somewhere more comfortable”, he said while trailing a finger down the side of Sebastian’s face.

Sebastian grabbed his hand and slowly started putting the finger in his mouth. His tongue wetting the whole appendage and watching Stefano become unraveled right before him. Stefano then forcefully popped his finger out of Sebastian’s mouth and turned the knob on the door. 

He grabbed Sebastian’s hand and drug him to a dark room that Sebastian could only guess was the bedroom.

 

Stefano used his hands to feel through the darkness and finally stopped on the far side of the room and Sebastian could hear what sounded like fingers fiddling with a lamp switch; the light came on with a small click. This only illuminated the room to a soft glow; the rest of the light was coming from the window and moonlight above.

Sebastian moved from his position in the doorframe to sit on the bed. Stefano made his way to the other room that adjoined the bedroom which must have been the master bathroom. Once he made his way in the bathroom he peeked his head out momentarily. 

“Pardon me, you make yourself comfortable. I have to prepare myself and freshen up a bit. Just relax Sebastian.” 

He then locked the door behind him. Sebastian’s brain finally caught up with his actions. He really didn’t even know what he was doing. Stefano will probably laugh and gawk at his inexperience with men. His clammy hands subconsciously wrestled with each other while he patiently awaited his doom.

 

Finally Stefano emerged from the bathroom wearing nothing but a thin purple robe. He smirked at Sebastian and made his way to the bed. The bed gently dipped where Stefano gracefully sat down and Sebastian’s heart was in his throat. Stefano seemed to sense his nerves.

“Mi amore you need to calm down, we don’t have to do this you know?” he said while scooting closer to Sebastian and reaching behind his neck to rub and scratch at the base of his thick hair. 

Sebastian leaned into the touch and rested his forehead on Stefano's. 

“I’m just so scared of letting people in now. You know what I mean? I don’t want to get close anymore and knowing me I’ll fall in love like a dumbass”, he huffed out in frustration.

Stefano lifted his head and placed a small but loving kiss on his crinkled forehead. 

“Sebastian, I am not asking for your heart. Just one night of passion is fine for me. We can go our separate ways and not ever think about it again! You think too much my friend.” 

Sebastian sighed. He was right. Anything that ever happened in Sebastian’s life he had to overthink it until the point of no return. He made his life worse than what it was. Stefano suddenly started kissing his neck and licking up the column of the tanned muscle, breaking Sebastian out of his stupor. Now this he didn’t have to overthink. He simply let the lust consume him.

 

The purple robe that looked so immaculate and neat when he first sat on the bed was now halfway down Stefano's torso and threatening to show more. Sebastian’s shirt was thrown over his head to somewhere unknown on the floor that seemed like an abyss in the dimly lit room. Sebastian finally set himself on top of Stefano and started kissing him into the mattress all the while stripping him completely of the robe.

Kissing him was so much different than kissing Myra. The short little hairs of his stubble tickled the top of his lip and his kisses in general were far more aggressive, like he wasn’t worried that he would break if he was too rough. 

He briefly played with his nipples and earned a cute little whine from the man. Stefano then halted the whole thing and pushed Sebastian in a sitting position and started unbuttoning his pants. 

“I’d say you were a little too overdressed for the occasion”, he said with a hint of mischief in his voice. 

Sebastian aided him in his mission to free his dick. He eventually threw his pants and boxers toward the same place where his shirt rested. Stefano’s amused voice broke the awkward silence. 

“So little Sebastian isn’t so little after all. I’m impressed.” 

Sebastian hated blushing but this idiot was always making him do it. 

“Okay funny guy, what do you want to do? I mean do you have a preferred position or..?” he trailed off. 

Stefano turned around to lay on his belly and lifted his ass in the air and quirked an eyebrow when he looked back at Sebastian. 

Well, that answers that. 

“So do you have lube? A condom?” 

Stefano leaned forward to reach for the end table drawer and struggled a bit before finding a tube and handing it to Sebastian. 

“Don’t worry about me, I’m clean and I’ve already prepared myself.” 

Sebastian paused his actions and thought for a bit. 

“Prepared yourself?” 

“I stretched my anus to make it easier for me to take your penis. Now, do we need anymore sex ed?” he asked amusedly. 

Sebastian felt the embarrassment hit him like a truck. That’s why his first time was so bad... he didn’t do that. 

He shook those thoughts out of his head, that didn’t matter anymore. That was the past and right now he had someone right in front of him to comfort and satiate him. 

With that he stroked his aching dick with the lubricant and began rubbing against Stefano's opening. His ass was already trying to grind against Sebastian so he grabbed his hips to still his motions. Stefano made a frustrated noise and Sebastian darkly chuckled. He finally began to push into the tight ring of muscle. The detective’s whole body tensed from the overwhelming heat and tightness. Stefano was slowly moving back and forth on his dick in hopes of some friction. 

“Please— ah! Please start moving.” 

Sebastian obeyed. He set a slow pace but started to quickly lose his patience. He grabbed Stefano’s hips and changed the angle of how he was seated in his heat. He must have done something right because he heard a vulgar moan seep from Stefano’s lips. 

“Right there! Go— aaah go faster!” 

So Sebastian gave no mercy. He gave his all and aimed to destroy this man.

 

The room was stuffy and filled with the sound of groans and skin hitting skin. Stefano’s head was stuffed into a pillow so he would not annoy Sebastian with his obscene noises. Sebastian enjoyed how vocal he was though and made it a goal to make him scream by the end of this.

Sebastian began to chase his orgasm when a loud boom distracted and startled him. There was a large window to the side of the bed and it displayed the whole of Krimson City. He waited to see what the sound was again but when it failed to show, he continued in his ministrations.

This time there was a whole slew of the booms, bright and colorful lights sprayed onto the clouds above them. It was fireworks. The clock must have hit 12 and people were shooting off their big finales. 

Sebastian immediately noticed how Stefano went rigid and tightened around him. He stopped thrusting and waited to see a reaction. 

Nothing. 

Sebastian started rubbing the small of his back. “Hey, guess I fucked you into silence huh?” 

Still no reply. 

“Okay, hey are you okay? I was just kidding with the whol- Stefano?” 

He carefully pulled out and got off the bed. 

“Stefano?” he repeated gently. 

He threaded his fingers through the man’s dark hair but still showed no movement. 

Sebastian didn’t know what to do. Without thinking, he tried to grab Stefano gently to flip him over but was only met with a blood curdling scream. This couldn’t be what he thought it was. Stefano couldn’t have a form of PTSD, could he?


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I know the spacing is weird in this but I’m not used to how the formats are supposed to be on this site. I thought you could just write however but whatever. Not to mention I’m like half asleep when I write these lol. If you get confused I’m sorry. Anyway I don’t know if this should be the last chapter or not. I hate my writing style honestly but I hope you guys like it.

The flashback lasted for about 20 minutes. Sebastian simply stayed back and watched cautiously. He had seen plenty of cases that involved PTSD but had never been up close and personal to one. It was excruciating to watch.

Stefano sat in a fetal position with a hand covering his right eye as if it were he was feeling agonizing pain. If Sebastian had to guess, it had something to do with that eye. What happened to this guy?

Sebastian bit on his brittle nails and considered his options. He honestly didn’t know what to do in this situation. If he touched him, he could trigger him deeper into the flashback but if he didn’t do anything, how long would this last? 

He took a deep breath and slowly walked toward the bed. When he sat down, Stefano finally glanced up at him with a heavily tear-stained face and his eye was as wide as a dinner plate. Sebastian’s heart ached at the sight. He carefully set a hand on Stefano's shin but was instantly kicked back.

“Don’t touch me!” he snarled. 

Sebastian backed up off the bed to give him space. He felt utterly useless. So he leaned up against the dresser in defeat and patiently waited for this to pass.

Finally a voice croaked through the silence. “Sebastian?” He uncovered his face and scanned around the room to find Sebastian sitting closest to the dresser and window.

Sebastian cautiously walked near the bed. Stefano’s shoulders started to shake and the room was filled with the sound of soft sobs. Sebastian put a hand on his left shoulder and knelt down.

“Stefano? Are you okay? If you don’t mind me asking, what just happened?”

Stefano continued to choke on sobs with them getting slightly louder as time went on. Before Sebastian could even register what was happening, Stefano wrapped his arms around his neck and almost choked him with how hard his grip was.

“Please don’t leave me. Please..” he quietly said through sobs. 

Sebastian held on to him tighter while positioning them to lay side by side on the bed. 

Stefano hugged him for about 15 minutes before finally loosening his grip. Sebastian gave a light kiss on the top of Stefano’s head and tried to sweep back the hair that was still hanging limply in front of his eye. Stefano quickly gripped his wrist from doing so.

“Don’t. It is unsightly and disgusting,” his voice wavering. “But if you must...” 

He hesitantly uncovered his face but to Sebastian’s shock, there was no eye. 

Knotted flesh was now where a beautiful blue-green eye would have been. Scars traveled down from the main lump and formed a spider web of tissue. Stefano's left eye started tearing up again. 

“I told you! I am a disgusting, disfigured, washed up, and talentless nobody!”

Sebastian opened his mouth to protest but before he could, Stefano was sobbing loudly into Sebastian’s shoulder. 

Sebastian rubbed circles into Stefano's cold back. “Stefano, shh. You are not any of those things. Why would you say that?” he asked with deep concern. 

Stefano's breathing started evening out and his sniffles were coming in fewer bouts. 

“Sebastian. I am so sorry you had to see this. I ruined your night with my petty inner demons. Please, can you stay with me though? I can finish you off if you need-“ 

Sebastian cut him off abruptly. “No, you don’t need to do that, I’m more concerned about you at the moment. Are you okay? You can talk to me you know? I know we just met each other but you know more about me than most people. Let some things off your chest and maybe you’ll feel better.” Stefano lifted his head to finally look him in the eyes. 

God he was beautiful. Sebastian cupped his head gently and gave him a peck on the lips. This was what Sebastian was missing in his life. Someone to care about and to protect. Without his family, he felt purposeless but right now, he felt like the most important person in the world to Stefano.

The moonlight was cutting through the darkness of the room. Sebastian had turned off the lamp and was now seeing how gorgeous this man really was. He was laying on his back staring at the ceiling. The glow of the blue-white light accentuated the sharp angles of his profile. He was dumb for being annoyed with him at the club. This was a human with deep feelings and emotions. It didn’t matter that he took his pain out in the way of art, Sebastian dealt with his by drowning in liquor. How could he judge someone so harshly when he was not any better if not worse? 

Stefano’s voice broke through Sebastian’s inner thoughts. “It’s shrapnel. That’s what hit my face and lost me my eye. There was an explosion and we lost a comrade there. I couldn’t do anything but watch. I guess even the universe punished me for being worthless by giving me this,” he spoke so quietly that Sebastian had to scoot closer to hear him. 

“You were in the military?” Sebastian asked curiously.

“Yes. Though I was only a photographer, they took me everywhere with them. My camera even caught the blast and the moment of his death. I had never seen something so beautiful...”

Sebastian quirked an eyebrow. “Watching someone die was beautiful?” 

“Life is not much different than death Sebastian. The only difference is that one brings you into this world and the other takes you out. We are all required to do this. Why should only one be considered beautiful?” he asked. 

Sebastian pondered on that for awhile. He certainly did not think of Lily dying as beautiful but he could see Stefano’s point. Stefano turned quickly onto his side and stared at Sebastian for some time before perking up. 

“Do you want to see it? My photograph? I have an art exhibition coming up but it won’t be included,” he asked excitedly. “Sure.” 

Stefano swiftly bounced off the bed to look at the wall. There was a small Kodak picture hanging by a pin. Stefano grabbed it and made his way to the bed. He handed it to Sebastian and sat down on the edge and waited for a response. 

The picture was literally someone exploding into a burst of blood and innards. If Sebastian just thought of the blood as paint instead of blood, he could see the artistic value. 

“It’s very... nice,” he said with an awkward smile. 

Stefano deflated though and took the photo back. “I figured you wouldn’t like it, but this just strikes something within me. I wish I could produce more but that would be quite impossible now,” he said sadly. 

“Do you ever feel painfully lonely Sebastian? Like no one could ever hope to understand you?” Sebastian was dumbfounded by the question because he felt the exact same way. 

“Yeah. I completely understand. You know, I’m going to be honest with you. My first impression of you was not very good but you blew me out of the water with how amazing of a person you are.” 

Stefano smiled warmly at him and laid back down but this time going under the covers. “This has been a strange night yes?” he chuckled lightly. “I couldn’t have asked for a better one night stand Sebastian.” 

Sebastian wrapped his arm around Stefano and laid on his back while his eyes began to droop with sleepiness. “Same goes to you.”

Sebastian woke up before Stefano in the morning. He always woke up around six everyday so it was only natural that his body would be accustomed to it. He took this time to just admire the man sleeping peacefully next to him. 

It was relaxing to see him like this compared to how in bad of shape he was last night. He was so stupid to think just because someone was more art involved meant that they were careless and could not feel real pain. 

This man lost an eye and some of his sanity but was still trying to live his life to the fullest while Sebastian frequented bars and worked his life away. He needed to stop pitying himself. Myra would be so disappointed in him. 

Stefano started to stir and Sebastian tried to make it look like he wasn’t watching him sleep. “You’re already awake? It’s so early.” Stefano said groggily. 

“I have to go to work soon. I’m not too worried though, I’m closer to it here than I would be if I was at my house. I need to get dressed though.” Stefano turned around to sleep some more. “That’s boring.” His voice vibrated through the pillow. 

Sebastian laughed and leaned down to kiss the top of his head. He got up to put on his clothes from last night and headed to the kitchen. 

He found a notepad on the refrigerator and a pen on the counter. Stefano was still deeply asleep and he needed it from last night so Sebastian didn’t wake him up. He left a note on his end table before leaving.

“Thanks for the wonderful night. It was unique to say the least but you opened my eyes to several things. If you ever need anything, I’ll leave my number and you can call me anytime. This doesn’t have to be a relationship but I do think we need each other. Goodbye Stefano.  
P.S. keep me updated about your art exhibition, I want to see more.”

And with that Sebastian went out the front door with a click.


	5. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is years after that night and a few weeks after the Beacon incident and Sebastian learns that Stefano has been contacted by a strange company. Should he be as suspicious as he is? Or just let it slide?

Sebastian finally reached the top step of the long stairs. He had been to the art gallery multiple times to see Stefano’s work but this time he just couldn’t muster up any excitement to see the man. He went through the doors tiredly.

The long corridor that held Stefano’s work was empty save for a few lingering people gazing upon the photographs. Sebastian stopped to lean on the wall to look at the work himself. They were beautiful but they were becoming more and more gruesome; there was so much blood and violence. Seemed that Stefano was letting those memories override his artistic talent. Not that they weren’t amazing, they were a bit worrisome though. 

“Sebastian! It has been so long!” Stefano yelled from across the hall. The loud voice destroyed the peaceful silence that shrouded the area. 

Sebastian swiveled his head to look at the man quickly approaching his side. “It’s only been a few weeks.” He smiled at his dramatics. “How are you?” he asked. 

His hair hung like a black curtain on his face. He peered up to look at Sebastian. “You missed one of my galleries, what happened? It is not a big deal but I was quite concerned.” 

Sebastian swallowed hardly and turned away to stare directly in front of him. 

“That’s... a bit complicated. Let’s just say I’m going through therapy because of it,” he gritted his teeth as he remembered the events of Beacon.

Stefano's eye grew wide with concern. “What do you mean? Was it something with work? You can talk to m—“

“No Stefano, we can’t talk about this one right now.” Stefano’s shoulders slumped and he gave Sebastian a puppy dog look. He sighed. “I don’t mean that in a bad way. It’s just, this is so complex and difficult to explain that you might actually think I’m off my rocker. Okay? I want to tell you but you probably won’t believe me.” 

Stefano scuffed his shoe on the floor and played with one of his sleeves. He looked so disappointed. Sebastian shared almost everything with him, they were practically best friends. Well... best friends that occasionally slept with each other. Hell he was lying to himself; they were dating but he never outright said it. He could tell though that Stefano was hurt that Sebastian didn’t want to share this with him. It was for his own good though.

“So anything new with you? Your art is getting better,” he smiled a little to lighten Stefano’s mood. 

“I thank you, but not much has happened.” He shifted his eyes and pondered a bit. “Ah! There was one thing. Someone has reached out to me about my artistic abilities!” he spat out excitedly.

“Really what is it?” Sebastian asked curiously.

Stefano reached into the side of his jacket and pulled out a pamphlet. “They want me to add my eccentric personality to their program. I’m not sure what it is exactly but finally someone is interested in my work!” 

Alarm bells were ringing in Sebastian’s head. This sounded really suspicious and strange. Who would need an artist only for their personality not their actual talent? Sebastian glanced at his watch. It was about time for him to head home. 

“That’s really neat Stefano but doesn’t it sound a bit weird to you? Sounds like a scam to me,” he said with an accusatory tone. 

“Do not fret my dear, the waiting list is so long that I won’t be able to even get an interview for another year or so. I will have time to research and whatnot. You worry too much Sebastian!” 

Sebastian rolled his eyes. Of course he didn’t think there was anything wrong with it. Only time will tell. He had to find Kidman though, one way or another. He needed answers. He finally pushed himself off the wall and grabbed his car keys out of his pocket.

“Well I really have to get going bud. I’ll call you later okay? I’ll see ya around.” Just as he was about to turn the corner to the front doors Stefano’s voice once again broke through the silence.

“Wait one minute mister!” He came jogging down the hall and stopped abruptly in front of Sebastian to catch his breath before latching on to him for a deep kiss. 

Sebastian flinched in surprise but quickly melted into the kiss and embraced the slim man. It was nice to hold onto someone real. Their lips separated and Stefano cupped Sebastian’s cheek. 

“You’ve been missing for weeks and I get no hugs or kisses? You naughty naughty man! I’ve been starved of your touch,” he whispered into Sebastian’s ear.

“I’ll take you out this Friday, how ‘bout that? I’ll take you to that place that just opened up.” Stefano’s face lit up but was then thoughtful. 

“Do you really think it’s a scam?” he asked with his lip threatening to make a pout. 

Sebastian couldn’t crush his dreams so he lied through his teeth. “I’m probably just being paranoid. I’m happy you were picked for this.” Stefano smiled widely and kissed Sebastian’s cheek lightly. 

If only Sebastian knew how wrong he could’ve have been.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you go guys. That’s the end of my first fanfic ever! I hope you enjoyed it! I’m probably going to go through and edit my first chapters so they don’t confuse anyone but I had a lot of fun writing it and I hope you had fun or maybe had some feels reading it heheh. Either way thanks for reading! :)
> 
> P.S. Don’t worry guys, I left the ending open so there’s a possibility of a sequel. I’ll need to brainstorm the whole thing and plan it. Thank you for your comments though, you guys gave me so much confidence it’s crazy. Thank you!!


End file.
